The Timing of Love

Chapter 6

"Felicia was in a hellish mood today," Austin said as he sat down by me. We were all gathered under the shade of a big oak tree in the square.

I gasped. Amelia held a hand to her heart. Camilla issued a little 'oh my'.

"My, really?" I asked, hiding my smile along with the girls.

"Yup. Came up to me after class and ranted on and on and on about some traps and glue."

"It must have been hard listening to her," Camilla said while patting Austin's back understandingly.

"So, it wasn't you guys?" he asked skeptically.

"Are you for real, Aus? Why would we? It's not like she shared your sexuality and said some inappropriate things to you!" Amelia said, feigning innocence.

"Yes, and what kind of friends will we be if we've done that? No friends will avenge each other," I added.

Austin rolled his eyes and gathered us in a brotherly hug. Suddenly, I felt another pair of arms around us and looked up to find Jeffrey. We pulled away briefly afterward.

"What you guys did was awesome!" he exclaimed.

"What did we do?"

"Yes, enlighten us, Mr. Paul," I added with a coy smile.

"We all know that you guys pulled that prank. Everyone could guess. It's not the first time you do so," Austin explained as if he was talking to five-year-olds.

"Besides, it pretty much a give-away when the three of you posted the video of her struggling with the doorknob and screaming on Instagram," Jeffrey added before laughing while pulling out his phone to look again.

After five re-runs of the video, we settled back in a comfortable silence doing our assignments. Occasionally, Austin and I would help each other. Before we knew, it was already evening and we went to the cafeteria to buy some food. I listened to my friends discussing plans for the next day. We were all free, as usual. When we did not sleep in, we would go on a road trip, to the mall to shop, and just hanging out in the student house. However tomorrow, we were going to the beach.

"To the beach? May I join you guys?" a voice asked and I groaned before banging my head multiple times on the table, knowing it was Julian.

"Don't you have friends, Ryders?"

"Austin and Jeffrey are my friends," he said without looking at me, with a shrug.

"Yeah, sure man. The more the merrier," Austin agreed.

"What?! No!" I exclaimed. Sure, I was calmed down but I didn't forget. He definitely didn't. Like I also said, we didn't hang out. Last Friday was something but now, I smelled something fishy. What was he up to?

"Of course, he can. That guy is a girl-magnet," said stupid, boobs-oriented Jeffrey. He was already drooling, that monkey.

"Great! Skyler is coming too. Do you mind?" he asked, still ignoring me.

They all said no except for Amelia and me, but nobody listened. It was pointless. Huh, hail democracy. Julian gave a quick nod and was gone in a flash as if fearing they changed their minds. Or that I forced them too. I could only glare at Austin, I seemed to be doing that a lot lately-glaring. Oh, how I wished I could wring his neck right now.

I woke up late, as usual, every Wednesday. That was why I hurried downstairs with my phone pressed to my ear with my shoulder as I struggled to find my keys in my beach bag. My mother called me as soon as I closed my bedroom door. I quickly locked the front door behind me and greeted a smile to my friends, the two strangers, and the asshole on my front porch, all of them waiting for me. I put my bag down behind Jeffrey. I made them wait for about fifteen minutes but when my eyes fall on Julian, I did not regret it.